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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. degree — from a university
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — hasty
  6. branch — a division
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. vault — a safe
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rash — a series
  18. charge — in control
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. charge — electricity
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com